Distributor for ignition apparatus



`1.1101111111. DISTRIBUTOR FOR IGNHION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1919. i

Patented May 30,1922.

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Fra/1K Cnrad DISTRIBUTOR Fon IGNI'rIoNiAPPAnATUs.

Patented May 30, 1922,

device embodying my invention, while` Fig.

v 1,417,717, I Specication of Letters Patent.

.Application led September I3, 1919. Serial No. 323,570. To all whom it may concern): Be it known that I` FRANK CONRAD, a c1t1- I zen of theUnited States,

Pittsburgh, in

and a resident of the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Ignition Apparatus, of which the following is a. specification. I

y invention tion engines and relates to internal-combustems for such engines.

ing my invention, with certain Qne -object of y invention per cylinder,4

conditions of operation.

.Another object of my invention is to pro- 'de an ignition vsystem .for such engines plurality of contact terminals mounted in the usual distributor box-"corresponding, in number, to the spark plu and connected thereto. minals are termined by .th engine. The vided and he contact terusual induction coil is proits. terminals engage the contact engage the contact between. the .two

the proper's'equence, as required during-one complete revolution of the Contact arm.

sheet of drawings, Figure view 'of a distributor box, rotating arm and shaft mounting embodylevation, and Fig. 2 is a top plan partly in section, vof the device emvenable it Improvement in Distributors for l t particularly to ignition sys.

means, (not show n) S in the engine .to press theI cam 19 arranged in a definite order, dee number of cylinders in the "time, and all of the'sparkplugs b vided for th parts shown 32 V1s a similar view of a -Referring to Fig. 1 boX 10 is' modification.

a metal supportin provided with g is placed a rotatable aft 14 is rotated, by suitable means ofa pin 1 6, -onthe shaft 14 at the inner end of e extension 11 and held thereon by meansv o The two collars 15 and 17 hold the shaft 14 in placel in the cylindrical hole 13.2' A cam 19 is mounted on the shaft immediatelyl adjacent toI the collar 17, isl secured to .th by means of that it will rotate therewith and a pin 20 so I aft 14. ring 21 serves v8() with the sh spring' hown generally only e 1- known type. A condenser 23 is mounted 1n the box l0 and is connected, in the usuall manner, to the interrupter.

n insulating casing 24; is mounted 011v the box 10 and is provided 90v winding 27.. I

l 'removablel insulating cover 30 is pro`- At the upper end ta e insu- Y comprising two. parts which have a Adefinite angular rel ation toeach 1`10` other. Near the outer end of each part, is mounted a-suitable brush 35- 'tted into a metal tube 36 and pressed outwardly by a spring 37, so as to operatively engage the A inner surfaces of the contact terminals 31.

A brush 38, similar to the brush 35, is provided in each part of the arm 34 intermediate the shaft and the brush 35 to engage the contact plates 29. The brushes 35 and 3 8,

l0 in each part of the rotatable arm V34, are

electrically connected together by suitable means, here shown as a metal plate 39. A suitable source of energy 40 is provided which is controlled by a manually operated switch 41.

The 12 contact terminals 31, mounted in the cover 30, are arranged in alternate sets, those numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 being connected to one set of spark plugs, and those numbered 1', 2', 3', 4', 5' and 6' being connected to the other set of spark plugs of the six cylinders, the numbers referring to the firing order. I have shown only two spark plugs, which are connected to the contact terminals 5 and 5', but it is understood that similar connections are made from the other contact terminals to the corresponding spark plugs of the engine.

If the cam 19 of the interrupter zis adjusted to energize the circuit at the time that the rotating arm 34 is in the position shown in Fig. 2, it may be noted that the brushes 38 are engaging the contact plates 29, and the brushes '35 are en aging the contact terminals, numbered 1 a d 1', and that,

40 therefore, the two spark plugs belonging to that cylinder will be fired simultaneously. AssumingY a'clockwise rotation of the arm 34 in Fig. 2, the circuit will be again energized when the arm is moved through an angle such that the-brushes 35 will engage the contact terminals 2 and 2'. It will be seen that the contact terminals 31 will be numbered 1, 4', 2, 5', 3; 6', 4, 1', 5, 2', 6, 3', if the arm is assumed to rotate in a clockwise direction.

The angular distance between the contact terminals 1 and 1', in a distributor box to be used with a six-cylinderv engine, may have any one of a number of definite values determined in accordance with the number of spark plugs which are, in turn, dependent upon the number of engine cylinders. The two brushes 35 may be so spacedas to engage adjacent contact terminals, in which case the angular distance between. the two brushes will be 3600 divided by the number of spark plugs (12), that is, 300. In this case, the two brushes 35 will engage the contact terminals now marked 1 and 3', it being understood that these contact terminals will be connected to the two spark plugs asso- .ciated with one engine cylinder.

It onelo'f the brushes 35 is so located as to engage contact terminal number 1 in Fig. 2, the other brush 35 may be so located as to engage any one of the contact terminals 3,', 2', 1', 6', 5' or 4', provided proper connections are made between the contact terminals and the spark plugs. The angular distance between the two brushes 35, as measured in degrees, may be 300, 900, 1500, 2100, 2700 or 3300 in a distributor box designed for use with a sixcylinder engine, and may be 450, 1350 2250 or 3150 in a distributor box designed for use withv a four-cylinder engine. :The auxiliary brushes 38 must be located diametrically opposite each other and be s0 located in relation to the semi-annular contact plates as to be energized at the proper times, and also be properly connected to the brushes 35. While, as stated above, the angle between the two brushes 35 may have any one of a number of definite values, in accordance with the number of spark plugs, I have chosen to illustrate the design which results in the best running balance of the arm.

While it may be sufiicient to use only one induction coil andone interrupter, I do not wish to be restricted to this, as it may be necessary, at times, to use a plurality of interrupters and of induction coils, and I have shown the diagram of connections for such condition in Fig. 4. I may use either the plurality of cams 19, as there shown, or arrange to actuate both interrupters from asingle cam. Y

Vhile I have shown a specic application of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may be made without departing from the Aspirit and scope of my invention, and I desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed Vby t-he prior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I Aclaim as my invention:

A1. In a distributor device, the combination with a plurality of contact terminals and two stationary and approximately semi-annnular contact plates adapted to be periodically energized, of a two-part rotatable distributor arm having a plurality of brushes on each part, one of the brushes on each part being adapted to engage the contact terminals successively and the other brush on each part being adapted to engage the stationary contact plates successively.

2. In a distributor device, the combination withl a plurality of contact terminals, of 'two stationar and substantially Semiannular contact pilates adapted to be periodically energized, a two-part rotatable arm, two brushes on said arm coacting with said contact plates successively, and two brushes mounted on said arm for engaging said contact terminals successively, said brushes bec mlnals successively, t

3. In a distributor device, the combina.

tion with a plurality of series of contact terminals mounted therein, of two stationary and substantially semi-annular contact plates adapted to be periodically energized, a two-part rotatable. distributor arm, two -electrically connected brushes on each part of the arm, one of the brushes on each part being adapted to engage the contact ter mina s successively and the other brush on each arm being adapted to engage the contact plates successively, said brushes being angu arly spaced in accordance with the number of contact terminals.

4. In a'distributor device, the combination with an induction coil, a source ofcurrent, and an interrupter. for said induction coil, of a set of contact terminals mounted in said distributor, a second set of contact terminals mounted in said distributor and alternating in position with the first set of contact terminals, annular contact plates connected to said induction coil, a two-part rotatable contact arm, a plurality of electrically connected brushes on each part of said arm, one brush on each part of said arm being ada ted to engage said contact plates successive y, and the other brush on'each part of said arm being adapted to en age the contact tere angle between the two .parts ofc-saidI arm brushes will engage contact terminals of different sets;

5. In a distributor device for an engine having a plurality of sparkplugs per cylinder', the combination with,a. source of current, an induction coil, an interrupter for said induction coil, ak set minals mounted in said distributor, a second set of .contact terminals mounted in said distributor and individually alternating inl position with those of the first set and spark plugs connected to all of said contact terminals, of two substantially semi-annular con- .duction coil,

two substantially semi-l being such that the of contact tertact plates connected to said twoart rotatable contact of e ectrically connected on each part of said arm for connecting the contact plates to the contact terminals, the

induction coil, a arm, a plurality brushes mounted.

angle between the two parts of said contact arm being such that the brushes will engage contact lterminalsof different sets, whereby the two spark plugs connected to one cylinder will be simultaneously energized.

6. In an ignition. system for internalcombustion engines having a plurality of spark plugs er cylinder, with a distri utor box, a plurality of contact terminals mounted in said box, an induction coil, and an interrupter for said inof two substantially semi-annular contact plates mounted in said box to which the terminals of said, induction coil are connected, box, a rotatable contact arm mounted on said shaftv and located within said box, a plurality' of brushes mounted en said arm and adapted'to so connect-said contact plates to said contact terminals as to energize the same in a predetermined order.

In an ignition`- system forv` internalcombustion engines having a plurality of sp'ark plugs per cylinder, the combination with a distributor device having two sets of contact terminals, those of one set 'being disposed in alternation with respect to those of the others, connections from saidcontact'terminals to corresponding sets of spark plugs, the contact terminals connected to the spark plugs of one cylinder being -located such angular distance apart as shall be determined by the total number of sparkl plugs, of two stationary substantially semi-annular contact plates` mounted in said distributor device, a rotatable arm, and two sets of brushes mounted on said arm for operatively connecting vsaid Contact tact terminals in predetermined order.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 3rd day of Sept.,

`FRANK CONRAD.

a shaft extending into said.

plates to said` con-` 

